This week the Key West Super Boat races are on, and we went out Wednesday afternoon on the boat to watch preliminaries, I guess that's what they were. The harbor is closed off from around in front of the Hyatt, on out to offshore, where the course extends. We watched for about an hour and a half then felt the urge to get some lobster.To get across the harbor, you have to wait until they're in between races, then radio for a Coast Guard escort. They will send the "Coast Guard Auxiliary", which curiously has downriggers on it and some dirty fumes pouring out the back! It's really an offshore fishing boat that's been deputized for the event.
The best thing about the Key West Power Boat Races are the sounds of the engines and the helicopters flying with the boats. The best way to watch the power boat races is from a boat anchored in front of Sunset Key. There are red bouys marking the race course so stay behind them. For pictures, it's a good spot but get closer to the red balls for better shots. Standing at Mallory Square is fun, but it's HOT and crowded. The boats come really close to the pier there so you can see close ups of the boats, but you lose perspective and only see each boat for a few seconds. Watching from in front of Sunset Key lets you see more of the boats' power and speed.
We didn't want to wait for an escort across the harbor in order to get out and do some lobstering, so we went around the back of Key West. Behind the Coast Guard pier, and took a look at the Drug Sub they have captured there, from off the coast of Ecuador. Then over near Sunset Marina on Stock Island, then through Cow Key Channel and around the bend to the south side of Key West. It took about 25 minutes.
Superboat races are super exciting for about an hour, then it's time to move on.
